Sometimes we cross paths with someone interesting, but are not fortunate enough to establish a connection right away. We may be too shy to approach, thus letting the chance slip away, or the situation might have prevented us from establishing a connection before we are separated and lose the opportunity. In other cases we may want to remain relatively anonymous while still getting our admiration across to the target of our affection.
There have been ways to remedy these lost opportunities. Before the Internet era, there were “I saw you” personals in newspapers and local magazines. Today there are numerous web sites functioning as a posting platform for attempts to retroactively make a connection. An example is the “Missed Connection” section on CRAIGSLIST.ORG. These “missed connection” postings are different from personals or other search quests in that the person who posted it has already had an encounter with the targeted individual. It's either an “encountered-already, requesting-reconnection”, or a “seen-already, inquiring-intention” process.
The success rate of these “missed connection” attempts is usually small. If the other person we are looking for is also looking for us, he would have to also go to the same platform, be it a magazine or one of the many social networking web sites, and search through all the postings to identify the time, place and scenario specific to his case. If the other person we are looking for is not looking for us—for example, he didn't know our interest in him when we met or he thinks the chance is too small to try—then reconnection is not possible.
In another aspect, sometimes without any specific sense of a missed connection, we would still like to know if we are the target of any search. Are any of the many individuals, noticed or unnoticed, we have passed in the course of our routine, seeking to reconnect with us? Going to all these platforms to search would be time-consuming and prone to misses. While these posted stories might be interesting to read, the chance of actually coming across one that is meant for us is small. Another shortcoming is, that these approaches lack any real time functionality. They are strictly retroactive solutions that can only be used afterwards. In the situation, for example, where we are still in the same restaurant (or any other location) with the target person, we could not use these solutions right there and then.
One of the objectives this invention provides, is a more efficient, effective, flexible, real-time and automated way to solve these problems. For an “active seeker” who has a specific connecting target in an encounter, this invention provides a way to remedy the regret and a second chance to connect; for a “silent seeker” who has a specific connecting target but doesn't want to expose himself, at least in the beginning, this invention provides a way to anonymously and indirectly express his interests towards his connecting target; for a “passive seeker” who doesn't have a specific connecting target, this invention provides a way for him to know if he is admired or sought for by others.